Page 60 of Solivagant

He was here.

A large hand extended to me, lifting me from my kneeling position and into his strong arms. I ran my fingers over jagged red lines on his biceps. The scars were all that remained of the wounds he’d had when I’d first found him out here.

I knew he carried shame from having them. But I truly believed they were as beautiful as he was.

30

JOSIAH

Warm. Safe. Right.

I couldn’t remember ever sleeping this well.

A gentle breeze drifted over my shoulders and the side of my face, carrying the morning song of birds.

Heat covered my back, along with a heavy weight over my hips and stomach.

Short, soft snorts came from in front of me, then a light tickling sensation as something cold and wet wiggled through my hair to touch my cheek.

I was almost too comfortable to care.

A lazy hand lifted to swat it away, only for it to return a moment later more persistently.

The fog of sleep was reluctant to release me, but as my brain slowly came online, I remembered just where I’d fallen asleep.

My eyes opened to a tiny piglet very determined to wake me up. As she attempted to nudge my face again, the heavy weight over my hips lifted, but not before a large hand gave my stomach a gentle squeeze.

The piglet was picked up and disappeared from view. Then that arm and hand returned to its place, once again gently squeezing the soft flesh over my stomach.

My body heated. Embarrassment. It had to be.

The piglet came running back, circling around us as she dashed for my face again. Once again Tusks scooped her up and shifted slightly to drop her behind him.

I took the chance to escape before that warm arm locked me back into place.

“What are you doing?” I scolded him as I quickly got to my feet.

The echo of his warmth over my skin lingered despite the cool breeze.

He huffed at me.

“No, none of that. I don’t remember inviting you to… to… touch me. Especially not when I was sleeping.”

He didn’t have eyebrows, but I still felt them rise at me as if to say, really?

“I don’t know what you think this is, but I won’t stand for it. Keeping me here against my will is bad enough, but whatever this was…” I gestured between us. “Absolutely not.”

His tail twitched in agitation, and his chin gestured beside me.

I folded my arms as I turned to see what he could possibly be trying to show me, only to see the bed of grass and chamomile flowers he’d made for me the night before… on the other side of the dying fire.

That meant one of two things. Either he’d picked me up in my sleep and moved me over here… or I’d come to him.

I somehow already knew which one.

My skin heated further.

“Whatever,” I grumbled before storming off.